


Over The Edge (Master Alchemist AU)

by newsies_of_corona



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: I'd like to say alchemy bros but Varian isn't redeemable and they aren't friends at all so..., Villain Varian, but um EXTREMELY villain varian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:21:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26281069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newsies_of_corona/pseuds/newsies_of_corona
Summary: When Donella leaves, she quickly gains a replacement...
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	Over The Edge (Master Alchemist AU)

Hugo stares at Varian in sheer terror as he backs away from the scene, the place where Donella used to stand merely a pile of ashes on the floor.

“Y-you…”

Varian is having a hard time looking away from the sight as well, his eyes wide with shock at what he had just done. He turns around to face Hugo, his tone sounding numb and void of emotion.

“Yeah. I did…”

He briskly walks away from the pile and into the next room, not giving it a second thought. Hugo follows him close behind.

“Well what do we do now? I mean she’s…”

He looks back briefly and shudders.

“She’s g-gone. We can leave now, right?” Hugo asks cautiously as he ends up in Donella’s office with Varian. He isn’t liking where this is going.

Varian walks around to Donella’s huge high-back chair, pulling it out from the back. Hugo backs up slightly as he sees Varian sit down. The boy’s frame is obviously small against the enormity of the chair, but the gravity and intensity that Donella used to bring to the room remains.

Hugo suddenly feels minuscule and vulnerable, seeming to shrink down in his former friend’s presence. He gulps and stares at the sight, his voice broken and barely above a whisper.

“Right?”

Varian laughs, dark and unfeeling as he stands up from the chair to face Hugo.

“Leave? I’m afraid I can’t exactly allow that.”

Hugo gulps and a chill runs down his spine.

“What..what do you mean?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Varian’s voice echoes in the room as he continues walking towards Hugo.

“Donella wanted to make me her… _apprentice_ , heh. But I had other things in mind. Bigger plans that only had one thing in the way… _her._ Now that she’s gone I can finally stop waiting around and wasting my time doing her bidding. She was _using_ us, Hugo. To her, ‘apprentice’ merely meant ‘servant.’ And I didn’t come all this way just to be _used_ for my intellect and brilliant ideas.”

Varian walks over to the door when he sees Hugo trying to back away again. The alchemist abruptly shuts it, making Hugo jump in surprise.

“Varian, I-I don’t understand-“

“Then let me help you out,” Varian says, low and laced with sarcasm. “This place is under… new management. From now on, you answer to _me._ ”

Hugo’s stomach drops and he stutters, trying to get a coherent word out but failing.

Varian rolls his eyes and scoffs.

“Take your time,” he mocks.

Hugo takes a deep breath and finally finds some words.

“What are you going to do?” He asks defensively, no longer recognizing the villain he saw in front of him.

Varian takes an alchemy ball out of his coat and stalks towards Hugo again, tossing it up in the air and catching it.

“Well you have two options. You can either join me…or meet the same fate as your former boss. The choice is yours.”

“I…I…”

Varian sighs and puts the ball back in his pocket, his tone returning to normal.

“Hugo, listen, I don’t want to kill you, heh. But I have to know that I have your loyalty. So many people have, you know, let me down and betrayed me before. Believe me, you don’t want to be part of that group.”

“What are you going to do to them?” Hugo asks cautiously, not wanting to know the answer.

“Heh! Do you _really_ want to know?” Varian asks, practically reading Hugo’s mind.

Hugo slowly shakes his head making Varian laugh.

“Ha. Yeah, didn’t think so,” he smirks.

Hugo’s heart is beating out of his chest and he looks at Varian with fear behind his eyes.

“So…”

Varian stares down Hugo, taking out the alchemy ball again.

“Are you in?”

Hugo doesn’t know what to say or do. He figures he doesn’t have a choice either way. Varian is pretty manipulative. Whatever he chose, the alchemist would make it work to his advantage. But if there is even the slightest chance that Hugo could save him, he wants to take it.

“I’m kind of on a time crunch here so an answer would be _great,_ ” Varian threatens.

Hugo nods reluctantly and hugs himself, trying not to let tears fall. Varian notices and tries to fake some sympathy while putting the alchemy ball back in his pocket.

“Aw, come on. It won’t be so bad! Just…similar to what you’ve been doing your whole life but with your _best friend_ in charge! Heh, sounds like an upgrade to me.”

Hugo’s head snaps up and he glares at the alchemist.

“You-you’re not my best friend! You-you’re just like _her!”_

Varian arches an eyebrow menacingly at him and walks closer.

“Well…you’re right about one of those things,”

He grabs Hugo’s shirt and pulls him down to his own level.

_“We aren’t best friends.”_

He lets go of his shirt and gestures for him to walk back over to Donella’s desk.

“And now that you’ve realized that we can continue with business as usual.”

Varian sits down in his newly acquired chair and Hugo sits opposite him. Varian smiles maniacally, pleased that everything is finally going his way.

_“Shall we get started?”_


End file.
